N364SA

On August 29, 2000, at 1330 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N364SA, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it ran off of the right side of runway 31 (2,857 feet by 50 feet, dry asphalt) while landing and struck a pipe that was protruding from the ground, at the New Lenox Howell Airport, New Lenox, Illinois. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The local flight originated from the New Lenox Howell Airport at about 1300.

In a written statement, the pilot said that while in the traffic pattern, "I had to do 3 go arounds [be]cause I was just too high to land. On my fourth approach I decided to make a long final, so I could make corrections if needed. Everything was looking OK. I landed doing about 65 MPH. I burn[ed] up about 1/4 of the runway right after I landed. I felt the plane wanted to go to the right. I was trying to do my best to hold it to the middle of the runway by applying left rudder and opposite aileron. After all that I was trying to do it eventually pull[ed] me off to the right striking a runway light pipe."

At a postaccident examination of the aircraft, the right tire was found to have a hole. No damage to the wheel rim was noted. Skid marks were found on the runway leading to the aircraft final resting point. No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or it's systems that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

At 1353, the weather for the Chicago Midway airport located about 20 miles and 022 degrees magnetic from the accident site was reported as: Wind 050 at 11 knots; 4 statute miles visibility; Temperature 82 degrees Fahrenheit; Dewpoint 74 degrees Fahrenheit; Sky condition 11,000 feet scattered, 15,000 feet overcast; Altimeter setting 29.97 inches of mercury.

The New Lenox Howell airport has an intersecting runway oriented on a 050/230 magnetic direction.